Popgun



April 24,- 1934. A. e. BRANDT POPGUN Filed Jan. 15, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 o o n w 1 1 r A. G. BRANDT April 24, 1934.

POPGUN Filed Jan. 15, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 35 auW- s April 24, 1934. A. G. BRANDT POPGUN Filed Jan. 15, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 HUM" INVENTOR M 661 6257 617201 22 HIS ATTORNEYfi Patented Apr. 24, 1934 PATENT OFFICE POPGUN Andrew G. Brandt,

Application January 15,

15 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in popguns and particularly to popguns which resemble guns of the pump type, as distinguished from those which are broken at the breech.

One object of the invention is to provide a popgun wherein a plurality of projectiles are successively expelled from an air cylinder, the several projectiles, after being expelled, being successively returned to the interior of the cylinder by a carrier which transports them longitudinally of the cylinder at the exterior thereof. More specifically, the present gun embodies an air cylinder telescopically fitting a plunger, the cylinder having openings at each end through one of which the projectiles are expelled by a telescopic movement of the plunger and thecylinder, and through the other of said openings the expelled projectiles are returned from the exterior of the cylinder. In other words, there is an air cylinder and plunger working within the same, and a plurality of projectiles which are successively moved along the interior of the cylinder in one direction to be expelled from one end and successively returned along the exterior of' the cylinder in the opposite direction to be returned to the interior of the cylinder at a point in advance of the plunger.

Another object of the invention is to provide a popgun wherein the reciprocating member for effecting the explosions is in the form of a casing firmly supported on members projecting from the stock of the gun. Preferably, one of these projecting members represents the barrel of the gun, while the other constitutes the plunger for expelling the projectiles from the air cylinder.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in certain details of construction and combinations and arrangements of parts (all as will hereinafter be more fully described and the novel features thereof particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a popgun illustrating the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the gun, with the plunger retracted with respect to the cylinder from which the projectiles are expelled;

Fig. 3 is a view like Fig. 2, but showing the plunger and air cylinder telescoped, these being the positions of these parts at the time one projectile is positioned in the cylinder and a second projectile is to be transported to the point at which it is deposited in the cylinder;

New Haven, Conn.

1934, Serial No. 706,738

Fig. 4 is a view like Figs. 2 and 3, but showing the plunger partly retracted and the second projectile removed from the carriage and held in position to be deposited in the cylinder;

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a similar view on the line 6-6 of Fig. 3;

Fig. '7 is a horizontal longitudinal section on the line 7-7 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 8 is a similar View on the line 88 of Fig. 4;

Fig. 9 is a detail view illustrating the position of the projectile carrier the moment before it is tripped to move it out of registry with the air cylinder;

Fig. 10 is a longitudinal sectional view showing a modified form of projectile carrier and carrier trip mechanism;

Figs. 11 and 12 are like views showing the different positions of the modified form of carrier;

Fig. 13 is a sectional view on the line 13-13 of 7 Fig. 12; and I Fig. 14 is a detail perspective view of the modified carrier trip.

In the preferred construction illustrated, the gun comprises the usual stock 10, carrying a trig- 30 ger guard 11, guarding trigger 12, although the trigger is immovable, as the explosions are effected by reciprocatory motion of the casing 13' on the barrel 14 of the gun. The barrel 14 may be of any desired construction, either tubular or 35 solid and in the butt of the gun stock, there may be provided a cavity 15 with a closure 16 for retaining in'saidcavity one or more of the projectiles 1'7 used with the gun. Access may be had to the interior of housing 13 through an 9 opening provided with a pivotal closure 18 and, to facilitate carrying the gun, a shoulder strap 19 may also be provided.

Within the interior of the housing 13, there is an air cylinder 20 into which projects a. plunger 21 mounted on the stock 10. A plurality of projectiles 17 within the interior of the housing 13 are adapted to be successively deposited in the interior of the cylinder 20, one projectile being deposited in advance of the retracted plunger each time the plunger is retracted to the position shown in Fig. 2 and, after being so deposited, the projectiles are successively expelled from the forward end of the cylinder, this end of the cylinder being crimped as at 22, so that the projectiles will wedge therein and necessitate the building up of a suitable pressure in the cylinder before the expulsion of the projectile for the purpose of producing the explosion. Preferably, the projectiles are deposited in the cylinder through an opening 23 at the rear end thereof, but at a point slightly in advance of the forward end of the plunger, when the latter is fully retracted.

For transporting the expelled projectiles from the forward or constricted end of the cylinder to the loading or rearward end thereof, there is a carrier 24 pivoted in the interior of housing 13 on a pivot pin 25. A spring 26 attached to said carrier and to a locking dog 2'7 tends to tilt the carrier downward into the position shown in Fig. 2 when the carrier is disengaged from said looking dog, so that when the projectile wedge in the forward end of the cylinder is expelled, it will be received in said carrier. This occurs when the cylinder and plunger are telescoped by moving the housing from the position shown in Fig. 2, toward the position which it occupies in Fig. 3, under which circumstances the projectile last deposited in the cylinder will be moved forwardly placing the air in the cylinder under compression until the pressure is such as to expel the projectile at the forward end of the cylinder. As the housing approaches its rearmost position shown in Fig. 3, a trip member 28 mounted on the barrel 1 is next moved toward the muzzle end of the barrel, the trip 28 will engage against the projectile within the carrier and extract it therefrom. The relative positions of the trip, the carrier and the projectile within the carrier at the moment 1 justbefore the carrier is tripped, are shown in Fig. 9, to more clearly illustrate the positioning of the trip behind the projectile in the carriage for the purpose of extracting it therefrom. As the housing is moved forwardly along the barrel,

7 the trip 28 retains the projectile as shown in Fig. 4. This figure also clearly illustrates how the abutment 29 on the barrel 14 engages the dog 27 as the housing is moved forwardly of the barrel for the purpose of tripping said dog and disengaging it from the carrier 24 in order that the carrier may again assume its position in registry with the discharge end of the air cylinder.

As the casing 13 is moved forward, or toward the muzzle end of the barrel 14, the projectile 1'7 then held by the trip 28, as shown in Fig. 4, is engaged by an elongated U-shaped spring 30, pivoted on the pivot pin 31 of dog 27. The spring 30 is slightlybowed so as to engage against the lower surface of barrel 14, and. as the forward movement of the casing 13 is continued, this spring exerts a gradually increasing downward pressure on the projectile until the cylinder 20, moving with the casing, reaches a point where the projectile is forced through the charging opening 23 by said spring. The projectile flexes the spring 30 upwardly toward the barrel, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2 and, as just described, it will be clearly understood how the projectile is deposited in the cylinder 20 with more or less of a snap action as soon as the opening 23 reaches a point beneath the projectile held by the spring and trip 28. This U-shaped spring 30 is clearly shown in Fig. 7.

Summarizing, it will be seen that in the present gun, there is an air cylinder 20 having what might be termed longitudinally spaced charging and discharging openings 23, 22, respectively, said cylinder being provided with means for restraining movement of the projectiles 17 through the discharge opening, so that as the projectiles are successively deposited in the charging opening 23 and moved through the cylinder by the plunger 21, each succeeding projectile will be moved relatively to the preceding projectile held in the discharge opening, to build up sufficient pressure within the cylinder to expel said preceding projectile, the several projectiles traveling in an endless path, so to speak, in one direction along the interior of the cylinder and in the opposite direction along the exterior of the cylinder for the purpose of returning them again to the cylinder. Described in detail, the operation of the gun is as follows: With the parts in position, as shown in Fig. 2, the housing 13 is moved along the barrel 14 towards the stock 10, effecting a telescoping movement of the plunger 21 and cylinder 20, with the result that the air trapped between the two projectiles in the cylinder is placed under pressure until the pressure built up is suificient to expel the projectile held in the crimped discharge opening 22 of the cylinder. This projectile, when expelled, is received in the carrier 25 and when the casing has reached the limit of its movement toward the stock, or the position shown in Fig. 3, the trip 28 has raised the carrier 24, as shown in Fig. 3. At the same time, the fully advanced plunger 21 will have positioned the second projectile in the cylinder in the restricted discharge opening. The housing 13 is then moved toward the muzzle end of the gun and during this movement, the previously expelled projectile is held by trip 28 and spring 30 until the housing reaches the extreme of its movement toward the muzzle, movement of the housing in this direction being limited by a stop 32 on the barrel. At this time, the previously expelled projectile will have been deposited or returned to the cylinder 20 through the charging opening 23, the parts having then assumed the position shown in Fig. 2.

It should be added that the projectiles may be made of any suitable material, but preferably of comminuted cork and a suitable binder formed into spherical bodies, as illustrated.

In the modified form of projectile carrier shown in Figs. 10 to 14, said carrier is secured to a spring 33, mounted on pin 31, in casing 13, said pin also constituting the support for spring 30. The opposite sides of the modified form of carrier are provided with alined slots 34, through which extends a pin 35 mounted in casing 13 and the trip 23 has formed thereon lateral projections 28a which, when the casing is moved rearwardly of barrel l4, ride along the upper surface of the carrier 24, depressing said carrier against the tension of spring 33 as shown in Figs. 10 and 11. Adjacent the end of the carrier, the latter is cut away so as to permit the projections 28a to occupy a position below the level of the upper surface of the carrier when casing 13 reaches its limit of movement toward the stock of the gun, as shown in Fig. 10. Upon the return movement of the casing 13 toward the muzzle end of the gun, the projections 28a engage under inwardly turned edge portions 24a (Fig. 13) of the carrier so as to elevate the latter, there being a space provided between the inturned flanges 24a for the passage of the body portion of trip 28.

The spring 33 normally locates the carrier in the position shown in Fig. 10, but, upon move ment of the casing toward the stock end of the gun, trip 28, mounted on the gun barrel, comes into contact with the upper surface of the carrier, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 10, until it reaches the point shown in Fig. 11. From the moment it comes into contact with the carrier, until it reaches the position shown in Fig. 11, the carrier is depressed until the spring is flexed, as shown in Fig. 11, and the pin 35 is in the upper ends of the slots 34. When, however, the easing reaches the limit of its movement, trip 23 and the projections 28a will occupy the position shown in the second set of dotted lines in Fig. 10, having passed the corner of the cut-away portion of the carrier. This will permit the spring to move from the position in Fig. 11 to that shown in Fig. 10, and as the casing is returned toward the muzzle end of the gun, the projections 28a en'- gage flanges 24a, as shown in Fig. 13 and raise the carrier to the position shown in Fig. 12 so that the trip 28 will carry the projectile out of the carrier onto the top of air cylinder 20. From this point the projectile will be returned to the cylinder in the same manner as in the other embodiment of the invention.

What I claim is:

1. In a popgun, a cylinder, a plurality of projectiles, means for successively projecting said projectiles from one end of said cylinder, means for receiving expelled projectiles and means for successively removing said projectiles from said receiver and loading said projectiles in the opposite end of said cylinder.

2. In a popgun, a slidable cylinder having an opening at each end, a plurality of projectiles each adapted to be wedged in and projected from the opening at one end of said cylinder, means for receiving expelled projectiles and means for successively removing said projectiles from said receiver and depositing said projectiles in the opening at the opposite end of said cylinder.

3. In a popgun, a cylinder, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively projected from one end of said cylinder, a carrier in which said projectiles are received from said cylinder, and means for transferring said projectiles from said carrier to said cylinder.

4:. In a popgun, a cylinder, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from one end of said cylinder, a carrier in which the expelled projectiles are received, and means for returning the expelled projectiles from said carrier to said cylinder adjacent the opposite end of the latter.

5. In a popgun, a cylinder, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from one end of said cylinder, a carrier in which the expelled projectiles are received, means for extracting projectiles from the carrier, and means for depositing the projectiles extracted from the carrier in the cylinder adjacent the opposite end thereof.

6. In a popgun, a cylinder, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from an opening at one end of said cylinder, a pivoted carrier, means for rocking said carrier on its pivotal center to position it in substantial registry with said opening to receive each projectile as it is expelled from the cylinder, and for moving said carrier out of registry with said cylinder after a projectile has been deposited therein, and means for returning projectiles from said carrier to said cylinder adjacent the opposite end of the latter.

'7. In a popgun, a cylinder, a plurality of projectiles, means for forcing said projectiles, in succession, through said cylinder in one direction and expelling them from one end of said cylinder, and means for returning said projectiles, in succession, along the exterior of the cylinder in the opposite direction to the opposite end of said cylinder.

8. In a popgun, acylinder, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from an opening at one end of said cylinder, a carrier movable intoand out of registry with said opening, the projectiles expelled from the cylinder being received in said carrier, an extractor for removing the projectiles from said carrier, and a finger for returning the extracted projectiles to the cylinder adjacent the opposite end of the latter.

9. In a popgun, a stock, a barrel projecting from the stock, a cylinder movable longitudinally of the barrel, a plurality of projectiles, means for expelling said projectiles from the cylinder upon movement of said cylinder in one direction, and means for returning the projectiles to the cylinder by movement of the cylinder in the opposite direction.

10. In a popgun, a stock, a barrel projecting from the stock, a plunger projecting from the stock, a cylinder slidably supported by the barrel and telescoping over said plunger, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from said cylinder by movement of the plunger into the cylinder, and means for returning the expelled projectiles to said cylinder.

11. In a popgun, a stock, a cylinder movable relatively to the stock, a plunger on said stock extending into said cylinder, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from the cylinder upon telescoping movement of the plunger and cylinder, and means for successively returning the expelled projectiles to the interior of the cylinder at a point in advance of the plunger.

12. In a popgun, a stock, a barrel projecting from said stock, a plunger projecting from the stock, a housing slidable on the barrel, 3. cylinder in said housing telescopically engaging said plunger, a series of projectiles in said housing, and means for successively depositing said projectiles in said cylinder adjacent one end thereof in advance of said plunger, said projectiles being successively expelled from the opposite end of the cylinder by air compressed in the cylinder between two successive projectiles by sliding said housing an the barrel to telescope the plunger and cylin- 13. In a popgun, a stock, a barrel on said stock, a plunger, a housing slidable on the barrel, a cylinder in said housing telescopically engaging said plunger, a plurality of projectiles adapted to be successively expelled from one end of said cylinder by telescoping the plunger and cylinder, a carrier pivoted in said housing, means for moving said carrier into registry with said cylinder to receive a projectile expelled therefrom, means for moving said'carrier to clear said cylinder when the cylinder and plunger are telescoped, means for extracting projectiles from said carrier, and means for returning the extracted projectile from the carrier to said cylinder at a point in advance of said plunger.

14. In a popgun, a stock, a plunger on said stock, a housing, a cylinder within said housing and telescopically engaging said plunger, a plurality of projectiles within said housing, and means for successively depositing said projectiles in said cylinder at a point in advance of said plunger, said projectiles being successively expelled from said cylinder by telescoping said plunger and cylinder.

15. In a popgun, a cylinder having longitudinally spaced charging and discharging openings, means for successively depositing projectiles in said charging opening, means for restraining movement of the projectiles through the discharge opening, means for moving each projectile through the cylinder to the discharge opening While the preceding deposited projectile is held by said restraining means, whereby pressure is built up in the cylinder sufficient to expel said preceding projectile from said discharge opening, means for receiving the expelled projectiles and means for returning the expelled projectiles, in sequence from said receiver, to said charging opening.

ANDREW G. BRANDT. 

